The Manitowoc Common Council met on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 6:40 p.m. in the Council Chambers and via Zoom. All 10 alderpersons were present. The meeting covered a proclamation for Fire Prevention Week, two public hearings, public input on several issues, committee reports, and numerous unanimous approvals of ordinances, resolutions, licenses, contracts, and appointments.
Nine individuals addressed the Council during the public input period:
Note: The agenda listed a public input period, but the minutes state that public input is not part of the official record. The transcript confirms that public input was accepted, and the mayor declared it closed.
All right, it is 6 40, so I will call our September Council meeting to order at this time. Thank you, those in attendance, those watching at home to the council, and thank you for your patience as we had a meeting prior to this. We do have all members present, so at this time, will everyone please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance? And if you can remain standing after the pledge for a prayer by our council president Eric Sitwitz. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Heavenly Father, today we pause to remember and honor Tom Drill. We give thanks for his life, his service to our community, and the lasting impact he made on the people of Manitowak. May we be guided by the same spirit of dedication, integrity, and commitment to the common good that he demonstrated throughout his life. Grant us wisdom as we carry out our responsibilities and trusted to us and help us serve our community with compassion and purpose. May Tom's memory continue to inspire us in the work we do for the citizens of Manitowak. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Council President Sitquitz. I also want to wish you and your lovely wife Jill a happy anniversary today. For those out in the audience, citizens, you know, uh sometimes we give all these council members grief and we don't think that they have personal lives. They're not up here doing it for the money, and it's clear that you have dedicated public servants like Eric who's here on his own anniversary. So happy anniversary, Jill and Eric. There's no rather place Jill would be. Oh boy, you bother caught her a nice gift. All right. We do have one proclamation this evening, and that is for fire prevention week. I would invite Fire Chief Ben Cranick up to receive the proclamation and say a few words about Fire Prevention Week. Proclamation reads, whereas the city of Matwalk is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living and visiting Manitowak. And whereas fire remains a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, and the presence of lithium-ion batteries in many household devices introduces unique fire risks. Whereas most of the electronics used in homes daily, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, e-scooters, and toys are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which, if misused, damaged, or improperly charged, can overheat, start a fire, or explode. And whereas the National Fire Protection Association reports an increase in battery-related fires, underscoring the need for public education on the safe use of lithium-ion batteries. And whereas residents should follow three key calls to action, buy only listed products, charge batteries safely, and recycle them responsibly to prevent battery-related fires. And whereas lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy in a small space, an improper use, such as overcharging, using off-brand chargers without safety certification or exposing batteries to damage can result in fire or explosion. Whereas the proper disposal of recycling of lithium ion batteries help prevent environmental hazards and reduce fire reduce fire risks in the home and community. Whereas Manitowak Fire Rescue Department are dedicated to reducing the occurrence of fires through prevention, safety education, and community outreach. Whereas the 2026 Fire Prevention Week theme, charge into fire safety, lithium ion batteries in your home serves to remind us of the importance of using charging and recycling lithium-ion batteries safely to reduce the risk of fires in homes and our community. Now, therefore I justice Nichols, Mary of the City of Manitowak, to hereby proclaim October 4th through 11th, 2026, as fire prevention week throughout the city of Manitowak. And I urge all citizens of Manitowak to charge into fire safety and support of the many public activities and efforts of Wisconsin's fire and emergency services, especially our own Manitowak Fire Rescue Department. Chief, if you want to say a few words, sure. Thank you, Mayor Nichols. Um going off of what this proclamation says uh with the change in technology of lithium ion batteries, it is extremely important we recognize that and uh follow the recommendations in this proclamation, but how to dispose of them. Uh recently, uh, I can say is uh this year we've had uh three different separate fires uh related to lithium ion batteries. So this proclamation is important to raise awareness for that. Um, also with fire prevention week um and month of October, this is where we get out into the schools and uh meet with all the young young kids and really uh push um fire safety initiatives with them starting at a young age. Um as much of our job is related to responding to calls for service, an equally important part and uh time uh component is trying to prevent the emergency before it happens. So fire safety month, that's what it's about. Um, and I'll just say one other program we have. Uh for many years we've uh partnered with the Red Cross. Um, so that if you know of anybody that uh needs smoke detectors in their homes, uh we partner with Red Cross and we'll come to your house and install those for uh no charge. Thank you. Thank you very much, Chief. That is the only presentation we have this evening. So we will move into item E, public hearings. The first one is for the purpose of hearing any and all interested parties in the matter of a request for a conditional use permit for a temporary warming shelter located at 2601 South 10th Street.